LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Powered by a nearly 60 percent shooting night and forcing 26 turnovers, the Western New Mexico University women's basketball team had little trouble rolling to a 87-61 win in their season opening game against Oklahoma Panhandle State University in the New Mexico highlands Conference Challenge Friday afternoon.
The Lady Mustangs went 32-55 (58) from the field, including a 9-20 (45) effort from three-point range. WNMU forced 26 turnovers and cashed that into 25 points. Senior
Jordan Gutierrez (Albuquerque, NM/Valley ) made four three-pointers and went 6-11 from the field to tally a game-high 25 points. She also went 9-9 from the charity stripe and added four assists. Junior
Jade Botelho (Honolulu, HI/Iolani ) added 20 points on 7-12 shooting that included 3-3 from downtown. She grabbed three rebounds and dished out one assist. Junior
Jeylynn Fields (Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande) was the third Lady mustang in double-figures going for 14 points. Sophomore
Megan Looney (Phoenix, AZ/Apache Junction ) pulled down a team-high four rebounds.
Outside of the strong defense forcing the turnovers, WNMU limited OPSU to just 37 percent shooting (21-57), including a 5-21 (24) effort from three-point range.
Gutierrez went to work right away drilling a three-pointer just 43 seconds in. Following a counter three by the Aggies, WNMU regained the lead on a Botelho jumper and were never tied from that point on. It ended up being a 6-0 run on a pair of free throws by Gutierrez and then a layup by Fields for the 9-3 lead at the 8:03 mark of the first quarter.
OPSU threatened to come back, trimming the deficit back to one at 14-13 late in the quarter before WNMU closed strong with Botelho and Gutierrez accounting for the final five points of the quarter and a 19-13 WNMU lead.
The Aggies had the lead back down to three and then again at five halfway through the second quarter when the Lady Mustangs took off. Botelho's layup helped start a 10-2 run with Gutierrez, junior
R'Trevia Randolph (Red Oak, TX/Red Oak) and senior
Kenzie Rinehart (Deming, NM/Deming ) all hitting three-pointers. OPSU closed the first half on a 4-0 run to leave WNMU with the 38-29 lead at halftime.
Hannah Whitaker and Addison Munsch put in the first two baskets of the third quarter to move OPSU to within five and that ended up being as close as they could get the rest of the game. Randolph connected on a jumper and started a 11-0 run with junior
Keshaun Clark (Avondale, AZ/Agua Fria), Fields and a three by Botelho accounting for the run that left WNMU looking at a 49-33 advantage with 6:57 left in the third.
The lead reached the 20's before the quarter came to an end with WNMU holding the 70-47 advantage. The Lady Mustangs blitzed OPSU 32-18 in the third frame.
WNMU kept the game on cruise control in the fourth quarter, getting the lead as high as 28 twice, the first on a jumper by junior
Shoniquia Coleman (Austin, TX/Colony) and for the final time with a minute to play on a jumper by redshirt sophomore
Taylor McCauley (Cliff, NM/Cliff ).
Darby Price led OPSU with 12 points and also grabbed six rebounds. Both teams ended up going 14-15 (93) at the foul line.
WNMU will wrap up the NMHU Conference Challenge tomorrow (Saturday) at 4 p.m. against Rogers State.
